KESTREL

noun Etymology: Middle English castrel, from Middle French crecerelle, from crecelle rattle; from its cry Date: 15th century any of various small chiefly Old World falcons (genus Falco ) that usually hover in the air while searching for prey: as, a common Eurasian falcon ( F. tinnunculus ), an American falcon ( F. sparverius ) having a reddish-brown back and tail and bluish-gray wings